Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Having spent the last day in the hectic motor scooter filled world that is Hanoi, I'm amazed at every corner that this world functions. Through the chaos and the frantic pace, however everything seems to have its own rythem and somehow the scooters don't hit the pedestrians, and aren't hit by the cars.

I will at some point post a copy of the itinerary, so I won't rehash the sights we've seen, but rather just share some observation:

• there is a distinctly French feel to the place, only further intensified by the large number of french tourists. The hotel almost reminded me of New Orleans a bit.

• while not nearly as friendly as the people in Japan, the locals generally tollerate tourists. There also seem to be a lot more of us here.

• travelling with a "fixer" (guide who handles just about everything) is one of the greatest things I've done. As there aren't many open arms (see above) this makes everything a touch smoother and easier.

• hiking today, I have never sweat so much. Because of the high humidity things also just don't dry. My shirt and shorts, which are about as wet as if I'd gone swimming in them, are still a damp mess.

We're now on the night train to Sapa for a couple more days of hiking and exploring. I'm looking forward to being out of the city, as crossingthe street should not be a life threatening experience.

Having spent the last day in the hectic motor scooter filled world that is Hanoi, I'm amazed at every corner that this world functions. Through the chaos and the frantic pace, however everything seems to have its own rythem and somehow the scooters don't hit the pedestrians, and aren't hit by the cars.

I will at some point post a copy of the itinerary, so I won't rehash the sights we've seen, but rather just share some observation:

• there is a distinctly French feel to the place, only further intensified by the large number of french tourists. The hotel almost reminded me of New Orleans a bit.

• while not nearly as friendly as the people in Japan, the locals generally tollerate tourists. There also seem to be a lot more of us here.

• travelling with a "fixer" (guide who handles just about everything) is one of the greatest things I've done. As there aren't many open arms (see above) this makes everything a touch smoother and easier.

• hiking today, I have never sweat so much. Because of the high humidity things also just don't dry. My shirt and shorts, which are about as wet as if I'd gone swimming in them, are still a damp mess.

We're now on the night train to Sapa for a couple more days of hiking and exploring. I'm looking forward to being out of the city, as crossingthe street should not be a life threatening experience.